It is known how to measure the torque exerted by the hands of the driver on the steering wheel, for example in electrical assisted steering systems.
It is likewise known, from document US 2014 054 880 A1, how to arrange a plurality of sensors inside the rim of the steering wheel of a vehicle in order to detect a strong pressure exerted by the fingers and the hands of the driver, for example in order to control an airbag protection system.
However, the known systems do not allow for precise knowledge as to the number of fingers in active contact with the steering wheel to be obtained; neither do the known systems make it possible to detect whether the hands of the driver are not in contact with the steering wheel (steering wheel not being held). The systems detecting a torque exerted on the steering wheel are not able to discriminate whether the torque is provided by the hands or another part of the body, such as the knees for example, or whether the hands are simply put in place with no force exerted.
Thus, there is a need to propose an improved solution to allow the production of more fine and precise information to be provided to a third-party user system such as a driver monitoring system, and/or an assisted or even automated driving system.